Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-17
now in Office be would veto the bill as he
had vetoed similar bill on the land cues

now in Office be would veto the bill as he
had vetoed similar bill on the land cues
ton.
Mr.. Nelson alluded to the new field Of
discussion which had been opened by the
position tsken by Mr.. Gsrwood, aud spoke
warmly in favor of The amendment.
Mr. Johnson made q fine argument also
in support of the Garwood amendment.
The constitution said that the lands
should be sold and sold only, or it would
have provided for other disposition of
them in express terms. Ga the contrary,
as he showed by reference TO the consti-
tuition and the proceedings of the cousti-
tutiOnal convention itself, the question of
leasing was again and again pressed be-
fore the convention by one OF the dele
gates, Mr.. Weod, and was repeatedly de-
feated. The state had never given
the lands, but only the proceeds of their
sale to the school children. 1t YVES differ
ent as to the county lands, which the
state, investing title in the counties, had
given to the counties the right to dispose
OF as they blessed. The state never con-
templated that the school lands should be
leased, but intended that they should be
kept open to purchase by actual settlers.
You give the actual settler the right to
purchase $40 acres because that quantity
of agricultural land suffices for s
homestead, but If you conflne pasture
lands to $40 acre purchases, and they are
fit only for pasturage the pasture lands
will never be sold or leased. He argued
there was as much reason for selling q
csttlepan q reasonable amount of pasture
lands for his business as there was for
selling to an agriculturist what was neces-
ssry for farming purposes. AS 1t is the
lease law is a free grass law and sale
law could not be worse, and would at Sll
events be fairer to all classes Il was no
worse for the state to hold these lands for
sale than to allow them to be held under
leases by cattle and land corporations.
The House adjourned till O'Clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The House this afternoon resumed the
land bill. Messrs. Graves, Hudgins and
Payne all made forcible arguments in
favor Of lease system.
Mr.. Payne argued that the power to
! sell implied aud, indeed, included the
lesser power to lease. Public policy, too,
r quired that the lands should DE leased,
SIS they could not be sold. We can't sell
! Lands fast enough; could not do it when
we offered them al 90 cents and s per
acre. In law there was no such thing as
free grass; it vas made free by
overrunning the law Strike out the lease
! feature and free occupancy OF the lands
would follow. He coDtended with q good
| deal of plaasibility that leasing was con-
stitutional as well as good policy.
! Mr.. Christenberry made q good argu-
mept in favor of the selling policy.
Mr.. Browning quoted from the Four
teenth Court of App ais Reports decis-
ion in the Holly case on local option to
show that the Legislature can't eX-
tend the provisions Of q constitutional
requirement. In that case the court
decided the constitutional provision al
lowing local option to prohibit the sale
of liquor could not be construed to ex-
cIude the giving away of liquor, so power
! to sell the lands could not be construed
TO include the power to lease them.
! Pending discussion, the House ad-
| journed till 80 Thursday morning, with
Mr.. Browning entitled to the floor.